Page 1 of 236

2005 Civic Sedan Online Reference Owner's Manual
Use these links (and links throughout this manual) to navigate through this reference. For a printed owner's manual, click on authorized manuals or go to www.helmi\
nc.com. If you havea Civic GX refer to Civic Sedan GX Owner's Manual Supplement for additional information.
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................\
................................................................. i
A Few Words About Safety........................................................................\
.........................................ii
Your Vehicle at a Glance........................................................................\
.............................................4
Driver and Passenger Safety ........................................................................\
......................................7
Seat belts, SRS, and child protection
Instruments and Controls........................................................................\
.........................................51
Indicators, gauges, dashboard, and steering column
Features .......................................................................................................................\
.......................87
Climate, audio, steering wheel, security, cruise control, and HomeLink
Before Driving........................................................................\
..........................................................121Fuel, vehicle break-in, and cargo loading
Driving ........................................................................\
......................................................................133
Engine and transmission operation
Maintenance........................................................................\
.............................................................145
Schedules, fluid checking, minor services, and vehicle storage
Taking Care of the Unexpected........................................................................\
..............................181
Flat tire, dead battery, overheating, fuses
Technical Information........................................................................\
.............................................205
Vehicle specifications, tires, fuels, and emissions controls
Warranty and Customer Relations (U.S. and Canada)................................................................221
Warranty and contact information
Authorized Manuals (U.S. only)........................................................................\
..............................225How to order
Index........................................................................\
.............................................................................. I
Service Information Summary
Fluid capacities and tire pressures
Owner's Identification Form
Page 18 of 236

See page f or additional
inf ormation about your seat belts
and how to take care of them.Using a seat
belt that is not working properly can
result in serious injury or death.
Have your dealer check the belt as
soon as possible. If a seat belt does not seem to work
properly, it may not protect the
occupant in a crash. This could cause
very serious injuries in a crash. After all occupants have adjusted
their seats and put on seat belts, it is
very important that they continue to
sit upright, well back in their seats,
with their feet on the floor, until the
vehicle is parked and the engine is
off.Sitting improperly can increase the
chance of injury during a crash. For
example, if an occupant slouches,
lies down, turns sideways, sits
forward, leans forward or sideways,
or puts one or both f eet up, the
chance of injury during a crash is
greatly increased.
20
No one should sit in a seat wit h an inoperat ive seat belt .
Never place t he shoulder port ion of a
lap/shoulder belt under your arm orbehind your back.
Maintain a Proper Sitting
Position
6.
Protecting A dults and Teens
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
17
Page 28 of 236

If the indicator comes on at any
other time, or does not come on at all,
you should have the system checked
by your dealer. For example:If the SRS indicator does not come
on after you turn the ignition
switch to ON (II).
If the indicator stays on after the
engine starts.
If the indicator comes on or
flashesonandoff whileyoudrive.
If you see any of these indications,
the airbags and seat belt tensioners
may not work properly when you
need them.
The SRS indicator alerts
you to a potential problem
with your airbags or seat belt
tensioners.
When you turn the ignition switch to
ON (II), this indicator will come on
brief ly then go out. This tells you the
system is working properly.
Additional Inf ormation About Your Airbags
How the SRS Indicator Works
Driver and Passenger Saf ety
27
Ignoring the SRS indicator can
result in serious injury or death
if the airbag systems, or
tensioners do not work properly.
Have your vehicle checked by a
dealer as soon as possible if
the SRS indicator alerts you to
a possible problem.
Page 58 of 236

This indicator has two f unctions:Itcomesonwhenyouturnthe
ignition switch to ON (II). It is a
reminder to check the parking
brake. Driving with the parking
brake not f ully released can
damage the brakes and tires.
If it remains lit af ter you have f ully
released the parking brake while
the engine is running, or if it
comes on while driving, there
could be a problem with the brake
system. For more inf ormation, see
page .
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II). If
it comes on at any other time, it
indicates a potential problem with
your f ront airbags or automatic seat
belt tensioners. On models equipped
with side airbags, this indicator will
also alert you to a potential problem
with your side airbags or passenger’s
side airbag automatic cutoff system.
For more inf ormation, see page .
This indicator comes on when you
turn the ignition switch to ON (II). If
it comes on at any other time, it
indicates that the passenger’s side
airbag has automatically shut off.
For more inf ormation, see page . This indicator normally comes on f or
a f ew seconds when you turn the
ignition switch to ON (II), and when
the ignition switch is turned to
START (III). If it comes on at any
other time, there is a problem with
theABS.If thishappens,haveyour
vehicle checked at a dealer. With
this indicator on, your vehicle still
has normal braking ability but no
anti-lock f unction. For more
inf ormation, see page .
1.
2.
28 27
196 143
If equipped
If equipped
Parking Brake
and Brake
System
Indicator Anti-lock Brake System
(A BS) Indicator
Supplemental Restraint
System Indicator
Side A irbag Cutof f
Indicator
Instrument Panel Indicators
Inst rument s and Cont rols
57
U.S. Canada
Page 63 of 236
This shows the temperature of the
engine’s coolant. During normal
operation, the pointer should rise to
about the middle of the gauge. In
severe driving conditions, the pointer
may rise to the upper zone. If it
reaches the red (Hot) mark, pull
safely to the side of the road. Turn to
page f or instructions and
precautions on checking the engine’s
cooling system.191
Gauges
Temperature Gauge
Canadian DX model U.S. DX model
62
ODOMETER/TRIP METER
TACHOMETER SPEEDOMETER
SELECT/RESET KNOBFUEL GAUGE
TEMPERATURE GAUGE ODOMETER/TRIP METERSPEEDOMETER
SELECT/RESET KNOB
FUEL GAUGE
TEMPERATURE GAUGE
Page 122 of 236
Bef ore you begin driving your
vehicle, you should know what
gasoline to use, and how to check
the levels of important f luids. You
also need to know how to properly
store luggage or packages. The
inf ormation in this section will help
you. If you plan to add any
accessories to your vehicle, please
read the information in this section
first..............................
Break-in Period .122
.................
Fuel Recommendation . 122
.........
Service Station Procedures . 123
....................................
Ref ueling .123
Opening and Closing the .......................................
Hood .124
...................................
Oil Check .125
.............
Engine Coolant Check . 125
...............................
Fuel Economy .126
...
Accessories and Modif ications . 127
.............................
Carrying Cargo .129
Bef ore Driving
Bef ore Driving
121
Page 126 of 236
Wait a f ew minutes af ter turning the
engine of f bef ore you check the oil.Remove the dipstick (orange loop).
Wipe the dipstick with a clean
cloth or paper towel.
Insert it all the way back in its tube. Remove the dipstick again and
check the level. It should be
between the upper and lower
marks.
If it is near or below the lower mark,
see on page . Look at the coolant level in the
radiator reserve tank. Make sure it is
between the MAX and MIN lines. If
it is below the MIN line, see
on page f or
inf ormation on adding the proper
coolant.
Refer to on page f or inf ormation
about checking other items on your
vehicle.
2.
3. 1.
4.
154 157
148
Oil Check
A dding Oil A dding
Engine Coolant Engine Coolant Check
Owner’s Maintenance
Checks
Service Station Procedures
Bef ore Driving
125
DIPSTICK UPPER MARK
LOWER MARKRESERVE TANK
MINMAX
Page 127 of 236
Try to maintain a constant speed.
Everytimeyouslowdownand
speed up, your vehicle uses extra
fuel.Usethecruisecontrolwhen
appropriate.
Combine several short trips into
one.
The air conditioning puts an extra
load on the engine which makes it
usemorefuel.Usethefresh-air
ventilation when possible.
Always maintain your vehicle
according to the maintenance
schedule. See
(see page
).
an underinf lated tire
causes more ‘‘rolling resistance,’’
which uses f uel.
The build-up of snow or mud on
your vehicle’s underside adds
weight and rolling resistance.
Frequent cleaning helps your f uel
mileage and reduces the chance of
corrosion.
Drive moderately. Rapid
acceleration, abrupt cornering and
hard braking use more f uel.
Always drive in the highest gear
possible. 148
For example,
Fuel Economy
Improving Fuel Economy
Owner’s
Maintenance Checks
126